Bag expander



Jan. 18 1927.

AE. L. KISCHEL El' AL BAG EXPAN'DER Filed March 6, 1925 INVE Tons ef w ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES GFFIC.

RR'WIN I.. KIsoIIEI. AN'n WILLIAM IvI. snI'rrzINeIiR; or OPIIOA'GO, ILLINOIS; AssIGNoRs rro UNION BAG a PAPER CORPORATION, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A OOR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

.Application filed March 6, 19.25. Serial No. 13,660.

The invention relates to a bag opener or expander and one of its specific applications is forv expanding a paper bag into the interior of a tin can or other container for the purpose of providing a paper lining in such container.

`In packing certain products, for example, shrimp, in tin or metallic containers it is desirable to line the container with paper. Various devices have been proposed for forming paper liners over a form and then inserting the same in a can, but the devices with which we are familiar are either not altogether reliable in use or a relatively great length of time is consumed in lining a can.

It is the general object ofthis invention to provide improved means for expanding or opening and shaping a previously formed paper or other bag.

' It is a more specific object to provide improved means for lining a metallic container with a previously formed paper bag and automatic means for at least partially removing the lined can from the bag expand- Ing means.

It is still another object to provide a novel form of expander mechanism for lining a metallic container with a previously formed paper bag and having means for preventing the formation of a vacuum inside of the bag. 1

In the drawings, which show for illus-l trative purposes only, a preferred form of the invention- Fig. l is a top plan view of a lbag exe pander and illustrating features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is la side view of the bag expander shown in Fig. l a part being sectioned to illustrate interior construction.

Fig. 3 isa sectionalyiew taken substantially in the-plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.`

Fig. i is a (view similar to Fig. l but illustrating the Inode of use, parts being broken away to illustrate the interior. j

Fig. 5 is a side view of the parts shown in Figa partsbeing broken away for purposes of illustration. j j

In saidl drawings, 6l indicates any suitable form of base or support vfor the bag expander member 7 whichmmay be securedl thereto in any suitable manner. w'llgieex-l pandery 7 in the forfll .Shown comprises a` hollow cylinder with the forward end Open. Since this device is for expanding a previously lformed bag into a metallic container it will be obvious that the shape of the body 7 will vary so, as to conform substantially to the interior of the metallic container which it is desired to line.

An ejecting means such as a plunger 8 is positioned at one end of the expander member 7 and in the form shown the shell is counterbored to receive the downwardly projecting apron or flange 9 on the ejector 8. The ejector or plunger may be guided solely by the wall of the cylinder 7, but we prefer to provide an additional guide in the form of a spider or plate 10 which may be fixed in the interior of the shell 7 las by means of one or more screws such as 11. rlhis spider 10 may be provided with anaperture for re- Y ceiv'ing a guiderod 12 which may be secured to the plunger or ejector 8. In the form sliown this guide rod 12 is an open ended hollow tube for 'a purpose to be described. Suitable means such as stop nuts 13 may be secured on the lower end of the guide tube 12 to limit the outward movement of the plunger '8 relatively to the expander body 7. Resilient means such as the coil spring 14 surrounding the guide tube l2 may engage tlie plate lO and the under side of the head of the plunger 8 for constantly urging and normally maintaining' the plunger in the outward or extended position as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 5. lf desired, the plunger 8 may be additionally guided and prevented from rotation by means such as one or -more spline keys 15-15 -on the inside of the shell 7 .and itis preferred that thesey spline keys be secured to the spider or platelO. In the form shown, the plunger 8 is 'of cup shapedform and in order to accommodate the spline keys 15-15, slots 16v-'416,V equal in number to the spline keys.7

are cut inthe apron. and part of the head of they plunger. The splines 15"-15'` are preferably'flush withytheutop of the expanderb'ody and extend inwardlyto a substantial extent soY that when tlie plunger is' plunger 8 is preferably also somewhat rounded olf or tapered so that there is but a very slight break in the sliding connection between the plunger and the expander body proper.

The body 'i' should have open communication with the outer atmosphere and with a view to that end an aperture 18 is formed in the supporting base 6 so as to permit a flow of air into and from the space above the plunger for a purpose to be described.

rlChe method of use of the bag expander is as follows: lilith the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2, a previously made paper bag 19 is opened up and slipped down over the bag expander body 7 so that it will take the position substantially as shown in full lines in Fig. A metallic can or other container 2O is then slipped over the out side of the paper bag until it reaches the position substantially as shown in full lines in Fig. 5. The can 2O is then manually or otherwise depressed until it occupies the position substantially as shown in dot and dash lines in said Fig. 5. During this latter depressing operation the coil spring 14 is compressed so as to permit the plunger 8 to move downwardly so as to cause the upper free edge 17 of the expander body to force the bottom of the bag well into the corner of the bottom of the can, the plunger during this operation serving to give the proper shape to the bottom of the paper bag so that it will lie flat on the bottom of the can. As soon as the pressure on the can 2O is released, the spring 1l will move the plunger 8 outwardly into the position shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 5 and thus partially eject or remove the can with its contained paper bag lining from the bag expander. Now since the formation of a vacuum on the inside of the bag is prevented by means of the vent 1S and the hollow guide tube construction, the can and its paper lining may be readily removed from the bag expander and plunger. lVhen the container is thus removed the lining formed by the paper bag will be properly shaped to the interior of the can and the can may then be filled to capacity with the material which it is desired to jmckage. Should the paper lining happen to partially slip out of the container no great harm would be .done since when the can is filled, the weight of the contents would ordinarily slide thev lining bag down into the bottom of the can and a capacity filling could be effected. 1t is, of course, desirable to use paper bags which are .more than long enough to just lill the can for the reason that the upper open end of the paper bag extending above the edge of the can may be folded over the contents of the can so as to form a complete paper envelope for the packaged contents.

In the drawings, for the sake of illustration, the paper bag and the metallic container have been indicated as fitting quite tightly to each other and to the bag expander. It should, however, be understood that the bag expander will function properly and will accomplish the desired result, namely, of properly opening up the bag and conforming it to the bottom and sides of the can even when there is considerable space between the can and the bag expander.

While the invention has been disclosed in connection with a specific use, namely, lining a can with a previously formed paper bag, we wish it understood that the invention ias a wider application and may be employed generally for expanding or opening and shaping a bag, and that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We Claim:

1. In a bag expander, an expander body stationary relatively to a support, said body having an elongated portion to receive the full length of a bag, a plunger at one end of said expander body wholly supported thereby and movable longitudinally thereto, whereby a bag may be placed over said expander body and plunger to op'en and shape the bag, and said plunger may move a bag on said expander body.

2. In a bag expander, an expander body having an elongated portion to receive the full length of a bag, a. plunger at one end of said expander body and movable longitudinally relatively thereto, whereby a bag may be placed over said expander body and plunger to open and shape the bag, and said plunger may move a bag on said expander body,and a spring for urging said plunger outwardly to automatically move a bag on said expander body.

3. In a bag expander, a rigid expander body, a plunger at one end of said body and movable relatively thereto, a spring for normally urging said plunger outwardly, said plunger having a vent therein for the purpose described.

el. In a bag expander, an expander body, a plunger at one end of said body, a hollow guide tube secured to said plunger for guiding and supporting the same, and a spring surrounding said guide tube for urging said plunger outward ly.

5. In the combination defined in claim a, and means on said guide tube for limiting the outward movement of said plunger.

6. In the combination defined in claim Ll, and means for preventing rotation of said plunger on said expander body.

7. In a device of the character described, an expander body in the form of a hollow shell secured to a support, a spline key inside said shell, a plunger head fitting in said shell and ooaotingl with said spline, said bag shaping shoulder at the outer end of said body for shaping the bottom of a bag placed on said shell body, and a plunger mounted on and within said body for sliding a bagl on said body to partially separate the bag therefrom after said bag is shaped.

9. In a bag expander, a tubular body member to be attached to a support, a plunger slidable in said body, and a spring for moving said plunger' in said body so as to Cause I' the same to project therefrom, the projecting end of said plunger' being rounded to facilitate sliding a bag over said body member, the outer end of said body member being rounded so as to form' a substantial continuation ol the rounded end on said plunger, whereby a bag may be readily placed on said body and plunger and when depressed will be shaped at the bottom by said plunger and end of said body member, said plunger under the influence of said spring serving to slide a bag part way oli' oitl said body member.

l0. In a bag expander, an elongated expander body to receive and open a bag, a

spring pressed plunger normally projecting beyond one end of said body receiving the bag, said expander body at the plunger end having means extending inwardly, transversely of said plunger so as to form a substantially flat surface, and the top of said plunger when depressed forming a substantial continuation of said flat surface for the purpose described.

ll. In a bag expander, an expander body stationary relatively to a support, said body having an elongated portion to receive the full length of a bag, a plunger at one end of said expander body wholly supported thereby and movable longitudinally thereto, said plunger having a tapered outer end whereby a bag may be readily placed over said expander body and plunger to open and shape a bag, and said plunger may move a bag on said expander body.

l2. In a bagexpander, an expander body stationary relatively to a support, said body having an elongated portion to reeeive the full length of a bag, a plunger at one end of said expander body wholly supported thereby and movable longitudinally thereof, and resilient means for moving said plunger outwardly relatively to said expander body whereby a bag may be placed over said expander body and plunger to open and shape a bag, and said plunger may move a bag on said expander body.

ERWIN L. KISCHEL. WILLIAM M. SEITZINGER. 

